Sheet-metal structure



C. U. CARPENTER. SHEET METAL STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1919.

Patented-A r. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHE ET l.

gig 50 C. U. CARPENTER.

SHEET METAL STRUCTURE.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS- APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. l9l9.

CHARLES u. CARPENTER; or DAYTON, OHIO.

. SHEET-METAL-STRUCTURE'.

To all whom it may concern w Be it known that I, CHARLES U. CAR- PENTERJ citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of g y.

frame of a cablnet, exemplifying-my inven-- Y 11011, taken in the plane of the line 1' 1 of and Stateof' Ohio, have invented certain new and juseful Improvements in Sheet.- Metal Structures, of which the following is a specification. I V

My invention relates to sheet-metal structures for employment, for instance, in sheetr metal office and household furniture, such as filing and other cabinets, book-cases, desks, heat-resisting Safes refrigerators, and other articles.

My invention relates primarily to means' whereby sheet-metal-sheets of comparatively large area may be employed in such'manner that comparatively thin sheet-metal may be vused with the assurance that the sheet will be stiff and resistant and bending and buckling thereof prevented.

It has heretoforebeen a usual practice to obtain stiffness and rigidity'by employment of comparatively heavy sheet-metal, which, due to the increasing cost of material of this character, has been found to be expensiveand in many cases prohibitive by reason 0 increasing the cost of the article to a greater amount than a reasonable r 'possibleselling price thereof.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, to provide novel means to make the employ-Q ment of comparatively thin sheet-metal pos sible, in such manner that sheet-metal of extended area is resistant and inflexible while preserving a smooth outer surface further,

to provide novel strengthening means 1 for the inside of a sheet-metal structure of exprovide a,novel-.sheet-m'etalv structure of extended-area comprising a thin sheet of metal,

and reinforcingmeans fixed to the sheet of metal alongsaid reinforcing means; and, further, to provide a composite sheet metal structure embracing a sheet of metal of extendecl area and reinforcingmeans"therefor fixed thereto,one of the elements of the c'omposite structure being provided with novel connecting means whereby'to connectjadja cent structures.

The invention will be further re adily Application filedJuly 10.1919. Serial No.-309,815,

taken on the 1ine11'.'1-1 Iof FigL 10. -I *ig. l12"is a detail of afmodification, taken 1n section one. line corresponding to 'thejline Specification of Letters Patent. Patlited Apr. 5,

'understood from the following description and claims, andfrom the drawings, in which latter: J i

F igure 1 is an inside-elevation of the Fig. I

- ig. 2 is an inside elevation of the same,

taken in the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken in the'plane'of the line 3 -3'of Fig. 1. c

Fig. 4c ls' a perspective view showingthe corner arrangement of the present eXe'mpli- 'hcation of my nventlon, taken inlthe direction of the arrows 4-4 of F ig. 3, the parts arr0w6 in Fig. 3, andpartlyfbroken away.

-Fig. 8 is a perspective view 'cf-c elojf upper corners of my improveddevicgshowing a top-piecereceivedthereover,'the same being partly broken away.

v Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the lower end of one of the, upright corner- F 1g. 9 '1s a vertical section Tof the same,

pieces, having afoot-"piece thereoverfthe" same being partly broken away; I

7-57 of Fig.5"; and,

. Figs. 13 and 14 are press-sectional details .takenre'spectively'on the {lines 13-913 and ,141 1dfFig.1.

My invention is of an office filing cabinet. v The frame isfjex v emplified at 21 as comprising sides 22 and'a back 23." The sides and backmay, 'for oon- Fig. 11 is "a cross-section of the same};

eaptfiegaempti d I 1 ina "sheet-metal structure representing tithe; frame of a cabinet, forinstance, th'e frame venience, be designated as walls. Upright corner-pieces 24' may beemployed for con prising a sheet 31 of metal, for instance,

sheet steel, the sheet being comparatively thin, of such thinness in fact that it would,

' a if unsupported, flex or bend and yield readily over extended areas to forces applied perpendicular to its side surfaces. This sheet of metal is bent at its margins to form flanges 82,- shown as right-angular flanges,

which are arranged to lap at the corners, as

shown by the laps" 33, suitably connected to the adjacent flanges, as by electric spot welds, indicated at'34.

Reinforcing strips i35, 86, are arranged across the inner face ofthe sheet 31, and are shown as provided with flanges 87,

shown as right-angular flanges, bent from the bodie'sof the strips. These strips are also of comparatively'thin sheet metal, for

" instance sheet steel, similar to the sheet 31.

The reinforcing strips and the sheet of metal are fixed together, preferably at intervals, lengthwise of the strips, so as to unite the proximate surfaces of said strips and sheet to form the composite wall. This uniting may be 'accomplishediby means of rivets 40, as shown in Fig. 12, but I prefer to unitethe same by means of electric" spot welding, as indicated by the spotwelds 41, as shown in Figs. 7 and 1 1;. These spot-welds are arranged lengthwise of the reinforcing strips. 1 have found by experiments that electric spot welding has a tendency to weaken the metal surrounding the spot which is welded,soythat by first twisting the united parts at the spot-welds,

the parts united by the spot welding may be severed or pulled apart by stresses-perpendi'cular to thesu i'face of the material. Such weaknesses are, however, avoided in my improved structure," in which preliminary.)

twisting strains upon the welds are resisted by the arrangement and structure of the 'parts'composing the composite wall, providmg a firm union'between liable to become severed. V p I prefer to arrange the angular reinforc ing strips obliquely or diagonally across the? R inner face of the sheet of metal of the struc-' ture, .providing main reinforcing :strips 35 extending over a subs'tantial' area of the sheet, and auxiliary diagonal re nforcing strips 36, which connectwith the main diagonal reinforcing strips. "The. diagonal reinforcing strips also preferably connect with the marginal flanges of the sheet.

'wedging the flanges together.

the flanges rigidly together.

parts which is not of the diagonal strips, received through slots 15 in theflanges of the mating diagonal strips, the lips being. provided with apertures-through which pins 47 are re ceived for locking the flanges togethenI These pins may, if desired, be slightly wedge-form, as shown at 4:8, and bev provided with "a head 19 extending from one side thereof. The face of the pin adjacent to the flange lengthwise of which it extends, impinges closely against this flange for The outer ends of the flanges of the diagonal strips are extended as lips 51,-in3

tegral, with said flanges, and bent atangles from said diagonal flanges, the lips being ,preferabl perpendicular to the marginal lips are, integral withfthe flanges 37 of one flanges o" the'sheet. These latter lips extend through slots 52 in the marginalflanges 32-, the lips being provided with apertures v53, through which locking pins 54 are re-v ceived, these locking'pins being preferably similar to the locking pins 47, for locking The locking pins maybe of desirable lengths, so as'to be received through one or more of the locking lips. 1 Thus locking pins 50 are shown as passing through but one of the locking lips, thelocking pins 47 passing through the respective pairs of locking lips extending from the flangesat the respective edges of a single reinforcing strip, and theintermediate locking pins 54 extending through a plurality of adjacent pairs of lips. I I

The diagonal reinforcing strips, which are interconnected and connected withthe marginal flanges of the sheet of metal, and the'sheet of metal, have their proximate surfaces fixedly united substantially throughout the lengths of said 7 reinforcing strips, preferably at 'close intervals,"as exemplified by the spot' welding's' 41,. which extend along. the length of the reinforcing strips, thereby forming a'composite truss- The corner-pieces, exemplified atlget, may, if; de r d, bent he vi r" ee -li e alfth n' the [composite walls. ;These' fcorner-pieces are exemplified" as upright corner-pieces comprisingrespectively outer upright walls' 57, 58, and inner flanges '60,"61,extending froin the latter walls, the latter walls and.

the flanges beingloent at the angles thereof for forming an integral uprightfcorner-i piece. The flanges60,61,of the rear cornerpieces and the flanges 61 0f the front cornerpiece are provided with slots 63' which register with the slots 52 in'the marginal fl ngesof the sheetnem'b er of'thecomtogether.

corner-pieces, the locking pins extending through the apertures in said lips at the insides of said corner-pieces for locking said composite walls and said corner-pieces The front cross-bars 25 are shown'formed as sheet-metal channels comprising a front web 65 and 'rearwardly extending flanges 66. The ends of kthe latter are provided with lips 67, integral with said-flanges. The

lips 67 extend through slots 68 in the flanges 60. of the front corner-pieces, pins 69 being received through'apertures 70 in said lips for distancing the front corner-pieces :from' 'each other and rigidly connecting; the same;

The lipsfit, 51, 67, are preferably narrower than the flanges from *which they extend, so as to be respectively received through slots 45, 52, 63, and68, which are narrower than the respective flanges in which they are located,therebyproviding shoulders 71, 72, 73, at the endsof-the flanges in pins.

or either of the same, for maintaining the cross-sectional relations of the' upright walls and flanges thereof, means may be provided which are receivedat the inside and outside of said upright walls and flanges of the corner-pieces for relatively positioning the same. For convenience the said walls as well as said flanges may be designated Walls.

Thus the top-piece 27 may be provided with depending flanges 75, the front one of which .may be provided with a cornice 76. The depending flanges are received about the outer faces of the composite walls and the upright corner-pieces. The upper por tion of the top-piece may, at each corner thereof, be provided with a downward bulge 77, received insidethe lengthwise space in the cornerpiece, and with downward bulges 7 8, 79, forming recesses into which the upper ends of the walls of the corner-piece extend. In other words, the bulges and the downwardly extending flanges form recesses in which the upper ends of the upright walls of the corner-pieces are received for positioning said upright walls with relation to each other.

Foot-pieces -81 may also be provided.

Each of the foot-pieces is provided with outer upwardly extending flanges 82 which surround the lower end of the corner-piece over which it is placed, the bottom of the foot-piece being provided with an upward V. 1 a dre o t i g' ip it is desired to strengthen the upper or 25A; composite sheet-metal lower portions of the'upright corner-pieces,"

bulge 83 forming an inside marginal recess thefoot-piece, forreceiving the lower ends 84 around-the lower end of the inside of of the upright walls of the corner-piece so "as to prevent? relative movement between I to in obtain; extreme rigidity while employing comparatively thin' sheet metal ;-;further, to Obi/21,111 an iinflexible light sheet-metal-s'truc ture; further,to assemble thesheet -metal a structure in such .manner as to be readily put together andtaken apart, whereby the same may occupy small space-and beeconomical for carriage, storage 'andshipment; 'andyfurt-her, to readily and economically form the parts.

Having thus fully described' rny "inven- I tion, what claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:'

1. A composite sheet-metal wall comprising-a comparatively thin" sheet'of metal of extended area, andreinforcing-strips extending-"in agplui ality of directions"- across 7 gthe face o-f-"said comparatively thin sheet-cf from which the lips-extend, against'which the flanges in which the respective slots are; located are arranged to abut, in order to lock the latter flanges in fixed relation bee, tween said shoulders and the respective lock metal, the ma jo-r portions of said reinforcreinforcing strips rigidly interconnected and rigidl connected with said sheet along wall c0m-pris-' ing a comparatively thin sheet of metal having its margin bent intoflanges-extending integrallyftherefrom'; and reinforcing strips having flanges bent' integrally therefrom,

the face of said comparatively thin sheet'of metal andthe faces of said reinforcing strips I and extendingdiagonallyacross the face of Y said comparatively thin sheet of metal, with in juxta-position, the said sheet and rein-v forcing strips having their proximate sur faces rigidly connected, and connecting means including extensions of said flanges of said reinforcing strips between sald mar- 'ginal flanges and said flanges of said rein forcing strips.

3. In a sheet-metal structure, the. combination of a composite sheet-metal wall comprising a sheet of sheet-metal of extended area having a'marginal flange integrally bent therefrom, and diagonal sheetmetal reinforcing strips having marginal flanges extending lengthwise thereof 'integrally bent therefrom, the proximatesurfaces of said reinforcing: strips and said sheet rigidly connected, and an upright corner-piece provided with an upright wall which coacts with said first-named flange,

said first-named flange and said last-named said slots, and means for securing said parts together.

bent therefrom, and diagonal sheet-metal reinforcing strips having marginal. flanges, extending lengthwise thereof integraltherewith and bent therefrom, the proximate surfaces of said reinforcing strips and said sheet-rigidly connected, an upright'cornerpiece provided with upright Walls, one of said Walls coacting with said first-named flange, said first-named flange and said lastnamed Wall provided With registering slots,.;- said second-named flanges, provided with;

lips integral therewith and extending there from and through said slots, means for se-,

curing saidparts together, and an end-piece provided with positioning means .for the respective upright Walls of-said corner-piece.

5. In sheet-metal structure,- the combination of compositejsh'eet-metal Walls respectively comprising a sheet of metal of extended area having marginal flanges integral therewith bentth'erefrom and diagonal sheetmetalreinforcing strips having marginal flanges extending lengthwise thereof integral therewith, and bent therefrom, the

proximate surfaces of said reinforcing strips and said sheet :r1g1dly connected, up-

right corner-pieces?respectively provided with upright Walls, the'uprightvvalls of said corner-pieces c'oacting Withsaid first-named flanges, connecting means between said firstnamed flanges and said last-named alls for rigidly connecting the same, and end means for said respective corner-pieces provided.

with positioning means for the respective alls of said corner-pieces. i

.6, In a sheet-metal structure, the combination of composite sheet-metal Walls respectively comprising a; sheet of sheet metal of extended areahavin'g' marginal "flanges integral-therewith bent therefrom and diagonal sheet-metal reinforcing strips having marginal flanges extending lengthwise thereof integral therewithand bent therefrom, the proximate surfaces of said reinforcing strips and said sheet rigidly con "nected along the lengths of said reinforcing strips, upright corner-pieces respectively provided With upright W2LllS,-;tl16 upright Walls of said corner-pieces coactlng With .said first-named flanges, sajid first-named flanges and said last-named upright Walls provided With registering slots and said second-named flanges provided with lips extending integrally therefrom received through said slots, means for securing sald parts together, a top-piece provldedwith "positioning parts received at the respective sides of the upper ends of said Walls ofsa-id comer-pieces, and foot-pieces-provided With 7 positioning parts received atthe respective.

corner-pieces.

sides of the bo-ttomsof-said Walls of said In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.1 7

CHARLES U.. CARPENTER Witnesses: r. I

THos. J.,KENNEY, CARL A. MUTSGHLER, 

